Microsoft To Acquire Information Protection Firm Secure Islands

Microsoft on Monday announced that it is in the process of acquiring Israeli-based security firm Secure Islands Technology, Ltd.

Secure Islands specializes in what it calls Information Protection and Control (IPC) solutions to protect enterprise cloud data. Microsoft said in a blog post announcing the acquisition that it will use Secure Islands' technology to strengthen security in its portfolio of cloud offerings. It specializes in data immunization by automatically generating protection methods at the moment data is created, allowing for it to be secured on premises, in transit and when stored in the cloud.

"After completing this acquisition, we will integrate Secure Islands' technology into Azure Rights Management Service to provide a flexible architecture able to meet the most rigorous protection and compliance requirements," wrote Takeshi Numoto, Microsoft's corporate vice president for the Cloud and Enterprise Marketing group. "These new capabilities, combined with the data classification in Windows and Office 365, will provide our customers with the industry's most comprehensive data protection solution."

Founded in late 2006 by brothers Aki and Yuval Eldar, Secure Islands is already the fifth Israeli-based security startup that Microsoft has acquired this year alone. In a separate blog post on its corporate Web site, Aki Eldar, current Secure islands CEO, said that the Microsoft acquisition will help further its adoption of its cloud intelligence-based security solutions.

"By joining Microsoft, we will be able to extend and expand our vision. Microsoft has been a long time partner and its leadership in enterprise IT, its resources and global reach will help us innovate and deliver new information protection capabilities to both our current and new customer base," wrote Eldar.

The deal looks to be finalized in 2016 after regulatory approval has been met. While the amount of the buyout has yet to be disclosed, earlier rumored reports have speculated that the deal will close somewhere between $100 and $150 million.